


Burning Dream

by snowynight



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Action/Adventure, Aliens, Dreamscapes, Gen, Horror, Missions, Monsters, Trapped
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-29
Updated: 2016-10-29
Packaged: 2018-08-27 17:19:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8410072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowynight/pseuds/snowynight
Summary: Trapped in a dreamland during a mission, Jim and Spock have to hunt down a monster to save a society.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lorelei](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lorelei/gifts).



The wall that Jim took as cover was dripping with reddish sticky liquid,  and smelt like sewage, but a beggar couldn't be a chooser. "Status? " Jim frowned when he saw how Spock tried to hide that he was leaning on his good leg.

"We are separated, isolated, and our attacker remained nowhere to be seen, so is our guide. "

Jim adjusted his position so he could support more Spock's weight. "Not good for us. Our primary goal will be to ensure our survival and find out what's happened. Do you think you can walk? "

Spock almost stumbled, and Jim caught him, fumbling but still walking.

"You shouldn't do that, but I'm grateful anyway, "Jim said. If not for Spock, Jim would have been torn apart by the monster bird.

"My injury is simply a result of my clumsiness. Do not worry."

Jim swallowed his coming argument, as they needed to hurry. "There is a hut ahead. We should investigate it first.."

Spock nodded, and both scanned the environment. Their unseen enemy had already drained Jim’s two people dry, and Jim didn't want to add to the number, especially when neither was in best shape.

The hut door was tangled with thorny vicious vines, and the hut itself showed signs of neglect: pried off board, uneven paint and weeds. A creaky voice asked, "Who's it out there? "

"We are representatives of the Federation, guests of your government, " Jim replied, "May I know your name? "

A raven hovered before them, its colour so dark that it seemed to swallow light from nearby. "Outsiders, you both seem to be trapped in the longest night here, how unfortunate."

"What do you mean? "

"Night comes when the day is over. It is the rhythm of the world, a rule obeyed in both worlds."

"My friend is injured. Is there medicine here, and could you tell us how we can leave? "

"You have to break before you rebirth, pulled apart before you get together. And to go to destination of your heart, heed the advice of three wise witches. Don't go into the red. A lily is a sign of truth. "

 _Why can't it stop speaking in riddles?_ Jim thought. "Have you seen anything suspicious today? Where are the witches? "

The raven flew to the roof of the hut. "The shadow comes from the dark, but is a child of light, for who has seen a shadow without light? The witches are where the tea party will be held." Then it disappeared into the sky.

"Tea party. When I signed up for the mission, I didn't expect to be an Alice in the twisted Wonderland, " Jim shook his head.

The command ordered it against Spock's reservation, saying that the strategic position of Tshun was worth the risk of getting struck in  their dream realm. Jim could still remember the words, "Aren't you an explorer to go where no man has gone before?"

He doubted it could be consolation for family of Ensign Li and Lieutenant Crusher, whose lives ended too soon - Ensign Li  was fresh from the academy, and Lieutenant Crusher had two sons.

“Let’s go,” Jim said. He would grieve later, when they fulfilled their mission and were safe back on the ship.

* * *

 

The sky grew from emerald green to a darker shade of purple,  which seemed to rip with liquids about to drop, so they used their torches to compensate for the loss of light. The buildings shed unpleasant long shadows, and they moved, extended and shortened in a way that seemed to have their own mind.. Roars and screams soared from afar, and then dead silence engulfed them all. Jim’s heartbeat was shockingly loud.

A bat-like creature suddenly flew straight at him, its sharp claws targeted at his eyes, and Jim pulled both them aside and shot. It wailed, dropped to the ground and turned into a wine coloured rose,

its thorny vines crawling for them. They got away,  but JIm was cut by the thorns.

"Be careful. This place’s really out for us, " Jim said when he bandaged his bleeding arm.

Spock only raised an eyebrow, and Jim smiled, almost could hear the unspoken words, "When have I been careless? "

They walked by a gas lamp post and saw a drained and pale body, with its lifeless eyes staring at them. It was a young scientist they met on the first day, who debated vividly  with Spock about a scientific hypothesis.

_"But it can't be right! Have you considered applying the variable---" she argued, her furry tail up, almost covering her head, a feature for Tshun to adapt to desert life. and made her look endearing._

_"You have not considered the interaction of this constant and -"_

_"You're right. Time for a meal, my treat! " her tail now fanned in a gentle manner._

Spock tensed by Jim’s side, so Jim put a hand over his arm for comfort. "I'm sorry. "

Spock only nodded. Jim’s hand remained there for a moment, also taking comfort from this touch. He squeezed Spock's arm and then put his hand away, saying, "We'll get it. "

"Undoubtedly. " Spock straightened up his back and his shoulders went rigid.

* * *

 

After a carnivorous candy house and rainbow coloured roads that tried to swallow them, Jim’s uniform was now battered with blood and dust, and his body felt like a big, painful bruise. Spock didn’t show any signs of pain, but Jim still hope to find a place that Spock could rest his leg.

A high-pitched laughter drilled into his ears. Then a grinning female head appeared in mid-air, with no body connected.

"I am Captain Kirk,  and this is First Officer Spock. We are both from the Federation. May I know your... "

The head said, "Get off my way, Captain and First. You took my seat."

"Sorry, " Jim stepped away.  The head whistled, and now Jim stared at a floating eyeball and a mouth by the head's side. The eyeball winked rapidly in pattern, and the mouth said, "Do you want tea? "

"Tea? " _Where is the tea  they talk about?_ Jim thought

"Tea, " the mouth confirmed. A children's pink table set, with pink teapots and cups appeared.

The head used their teeth to hold  the teapot, pouring tea into the cups, and then put it back again, saying, "Do we really want to share tea? Medusa here never can have enough tea. "

The eyeball winked again, and the pattern seemed familiar to Jim. It was…

"It's you who always want more tea than you can drink, Arae. Medusa is more sensible than that. " The mouth said, and then a cup of tea floated toward Jim and Spock each and stood in mid-air. "Tea? It’s always a good time to have tea. "

Jim nodded at Spock and they both took one. Jim asked, "Something invisible is hunting us, and it drains all its victims' blood. I wonder if you can tell us more about that. " The raven’s words might be a crack shot, but there was no harm asking.

"The shadow? It's against the rules to talk to the Waken here about it, " the head said.

Jim tried to find a loophole for this. "But we are not from here. Do the rules still apply to us? "

"Very true. Then we can speak to you about that, but be aware that the knowledge can't be unlearned, and it may forever haunt your dream. Can you shoulder the responsibility? "

Jim saw Spock's almost imperceptible nod before answering for them. "We are willing, "

"Even to be cursed and banished from here forever? " the mouth asked.

"Yes, " Since Jim swore to the Fleet, he had never backed down from paying the prize for his duty.

"Alright, so you won't complain later that we tricked you or anything,  " the head said. "The Shadow is a part of here, as dream needs to die and recycle too. You may have known from the Waken that death and injury here don't directly correspond to what actually happen in their life. A death here maybe just a new beginning there, right? And the dream may rebirth tomorrow. "

Jim hesitated. It was definitely not covered in their vague briefing.

The Head sighed. "Trust the Waken to blotch up such a simple job... The Shadow is different though. It brings true death to both sides. Without the Shadow we can never rest, and the Waken will one day overwhelm our world. "

"So it is  a part of your world's natural cycle, " Spock said.

"Partly correct. The Shadow should follow the same cycles as us, and it's not yet his time. "

"Would you guess why? " Jim asked

"Some fools must have waken it up from its sleep. and who knew what those idiots are thinking."

"What will happen if it isn’t stopped? "

"Normally the Shadow returns to sleep when the time's up, but now that everything is out of sync here, the Shadow may go on forever, eating lives, memories, and connections, and the Waken as you knew may no longer exist."

"How can we stop it? "

"What will a shadow be afraid of? Find the answer and you'll know the path. "

The mouth interrupted, "and now it's time for our tea party. Where is my bacon tea? "

The three witches ignored Jim in favour of their tea, so Jim and Spock left. As Spock’s leg seemed to be swollen now,  Jim forced Spock to take a break with him.

"We must stop it for good, " Jim said, after bandaging Spock’s leg again.

"The Shadow is a part of this world. The consequence of its death may be unpredictable."

"But it's killing a people, and the Head did say that it’s not yet its time."

"Can it be responsible if its natural cycle was disrupted?"

Jim sighed, "I get your point, but the killing needs to stop. We’ll find a way to put it back to sleep. "

"Very wise, Captain."

"So let's move on. We have a shadow to sing lullaby to."

Spock raised an eyebrow, but Jim raised a hand and smiled at him.  Then Jim heard a faint home sparrow call on their way.

Strange how sad it sounded, he thought.

* * *

 

Jim and Spock arrived at an inn with a lot of dogs running about: big one, small one, long-haired one, short-haired one, and exotic one: one three-headed, one purple-coloured, and even some had wings, but they seem friendly enough. "Let’s go. We may find out more,," Jim said.

"Greeting, traveller! What do you like? " a dragon-headed woman greeted them "Room above or some refreshment? "

"We would like some water and fruits, if it's not too much trouble? " Jim asked.

"Here right away, " the woman said. She flew to behind and returned with a tray, above which there were two plates of assorted fruit pieces and glasses of water. "Enjoy your meal! ", a star sign on her sleeve flicked in shades of redness.

"Excuse me. I can't help but notice the star sign on your sleeve. Could you tell us about that? " Jim asked, trying to get the woman to open up.

The next hour Jim was treated to a long treatise of the principles of the universe according to her, which seemed to involve colour theory, astrology and interpretation of bird call. Jim listened as attentively as he could, asked questions and nodded when appropriate, and the woman seemed to be delighted about such a dedicated audience.

"It's so great to find someone with a like mind, so your meal will be on the house. By the way, do you want to see our Wise Well? " the woman said when clapping Jim's back.

Jim asked, "Excuse me, but what's that?"

"The Wise Well knows answers to all secret. You’ll find whatever you want to know. there. "

"We'll be honoured, Madam **.** "

“Great! Let me show you the way. By the way, call me Bertha.”

When Bertha led Jim to the well, the reddish water inside swirled and whispers filled the air.

_I hear that the butcher has an affair with the tailor’s wife, and they arrange their meeting with a pig head bone as a secret sign. / Father Sey has the biggest collection of holy signs. His newest cries when nobody is nearby. / If you try to write anything, you end up writing the same story about a voll worm turning to a god, and the writing heats up when you touch it...._

Then the voices got excited: _Your blood smells so good. The red giant star Albidon 20 will explode when the first Suqi baby is born. The hue of your hair colour will get you branded as a pet on Tianda 5. Shoot the green one. The bones inside you are so fragile. Some mercenaries passing through Rumen talk fearfully  about something from the sky, and People are forgetting how to…_

When the voice got louder and louder, the water swirled and rose higher and higher. Something from the water grabbed Jim and pulled him inside, and the last thing Jim remembered when his world grew black was a painful grip on his right arm and Spock’s voice, “Captain!”

* * *

 

Jim coughed when he opened his eyes, his wet clothes uncomfortably clung to him. He pushed himself up and rushed to Spock's side, checking his breath and pulse. _Why doesn't he open his eyes?_

Spock coughed and opened his eyes, immediately looking around and his eyes softened when he saw Jim, “Are you alright, Captain? ”

“Are you **alright**? ” Jim asked and only then checked over where they were now.

It was dark, so they navigated by touch, but the layout felt familiar. Then a light Iit and Jim’s eyes was blinded for several seconds. When his eyes adjusted, he found that they were in the bridge of a starship. The display windows showed nothing, and the panels were covered with rust, and the floor was covered with a layer of dust.

“Let's investigate, ” Jim said, and checked over the panels with his tricorder. Then came a red alert warning and Jim straightened up, barking out order, “Report! ”

The siren continued, and the main display window brightened, showing a Tshun woman with her right fist pressed towards her chest, a traditional gesture for peace. “Greeting, Captain Kirk and Commander Spock. My name is Qkdiwa, and I come with a proposal. ”

“Explain, ” Jim said. Would this conversation reveal what they wanted to know?

“I regret that you came in an untimely moment. While a rebirth is necessary for our survival, outsiders don't understand our rules.”

Jim recalled that the shadow was said to wake earlier than expected. “Do you wake the shadow out of its time? It's not what “following the rule” means. ”

Qkdiwa’s posture stiffened. “You’re tainted by the dream. I must reassess the situation.”

“It doesn't answer my question. The shadow is killing people and may go on forever. There's no rebirth if nothing remains.”

“The world's overwhelmed with old dream, old people, old idea, and a start over is needed before it collapses.”

“But who decides what’s old and unwanted? Won't it be better if you allow everything to go in its time? ”

Spock interrupted, “As a Vulcan, we practise the philosophy of ‘Infinite diversity, infinite ’combination, because our history teaches us that if we impose our value on others, no matter how noble in our intention, we will only destroy the possibility for anything new.”

Qkdiwa avoided their gaze and looked downward. Then she whispered, “As you’re tainted, you can champion your cause against the shadow itself. May your feet always wander, and never step on our soil.”

* * *

 

“Spock? ” Jim found himself near a park, Spock nowhere in sight. The red sun shone brightly when he got nearer, and he could hear children’s laughter and people talking. When he got into it, the sky darkened and it became silent. Jim walked on alert for potential attack, and stopped when a girl asked, “Who are you?” With the dim light, Jim could only see that the girl was very thin, holding something tight in her arms.

“I’m Captain Kirk from the Federation, a guest to your planet.” Jim made a step forward, and stopped

“You have a weapon. You will hurt me and Moxie,” the girl whispered, her fingers tightening around a cloth animal plushie. “Sorry, Moxie, sorry,” the girl said, tearing a leg from the plushie.

The ground Jim stood on broke open. Jim fell, arms stretching out to grab anything that could break his fall. He kept falling until his right hand grabbed a sharp edge.

The girl looked down from the edge of the hole, already picking up the torn leg. “You’re still alive. You’ll kill us.”

“Believe me. I won’t,” Jim said, trying to find another support. “We come in peace, and we use our weapons to protect ourselves..”

“You’ve killed for less,” the plushie said. “You’re a threat to us.”

 _What’re they referring to?_ Jim finally found another edge to hold. “ Today I killed, but I promise to always try my best to look for another way from death.”

“Promise, promise,” the plushie said, but the girl started to run, with the plushie in tight grip, shouting, “The Candy Lady is coming!”

Jim’s hands were getting tired and hurt, and when he debated whether risk climbing upwards now, he heard Spock before an arm stretched towards him. “Hold on, Captain.”

With Spock’s help Jim returned to the ground, panting. He told Spock what’d happened, and asked when he noticed the green blood stain on Spock’s sleeves. “What’d happened? How are you?”

“Do not worry, Captain, but we will need to hurry to locate the shadow and find an exit.”

Jim nodded and they continued, now that the sky was bright again.

* * *

 

Dust cloud flowed in mid-air, and the smell of rust was pungent. A woman in wide-shouldered candy patterned suit marched towards them, with a business card in her hand, a lollipop in her suit pocket. “Ufn'tiquoar at your service. How can I help you? “ She continued before JIm could answer. “You seem to have loads on your mind. Let me get them off you.”

Jim felt getting lighter and lighter and floated to mid-air, only anchored by Spock’s grip on him.

Spock glared at the woman. “Return my captain to normal.”

“So you want to tower head and shoulders above me? You should do it properly,” the woman raising her hand, and Spock’s feet started to float away from the ground too.

“Stop it!” Jim fumbled with his phraser.

The woman only laughed, “You carry the world on your shoulder every day. Aren’t you tired with this? Don’t you want to be at the top of the universe?”

With the rate they floated upwards, Jim knew he would be up in the clouds in several minutes. “I only want to get my feet on the ground!”

“Boring,” the woman shrugged, got into a car and disappeared, while Jim and Spock crashed to the ground.

“Are you alright?” Jim winced as his ribs had clashed with Spock’s, and they helped each other up.

“Let’s move on,”Spock said, and they continued.

* * *

 

Jim and Spock arrived at a junkyard, as an instinct told him that they would find the shadow here.

A  statue which lost its ear  lied alongside a chair with three legs. A broken car stashed above a number of empty food boxes. The place was so crowded with junk that Jim had to squeeze by. A smell of rotten meat and ashes attacked JIm’s nose.

Something was wrong, and Jim looked over a cabinet with broken hinges, trying to figure out----

Jim was shoved under Spock’s body, and he could sense the shadow. Instead of merely the absence of light, it drew energy into itself. The statue became pieces, the broken car rusted, and the dust was so heavy that Jim coughed. The shadow’s shape became more solid, and pounced on them. Spock held a hand against it---

Jim was in a maze made of sand. Here his body disappeared, and Spock’s thought enveloped him like a blanket. _We’re inside the shadow’s consciousness._

 _How can it happen_ , Jim thought back.

_My hypothesis is that as the shadow is a construct of the dream, our inadvertent contact brought us into its consciousness._

_Can you reach it?_

_I will try. Meanwhile, stay with me so I can shield you._

Jim couldn’t help his affection as he felt Spock stretching forward his thought. Then there was an answer.

 _Death. Sleep. End._ The shadow’s voice sounded like sparrow call

 _Your have come before your time. You should return to your original place._ Spock’s thought was firm and warm like the winter sun.

 _It’s not the right time for you. Return now._ Jim thought to the shadow.

_Right?_

The maze became a pile of sand. Jim and Spock were now in a garden, where a wide variety of wild flowers blossomed, and only one would be the key to solve everything.

 _A lily is a sign of truth,_ the raven said. Jim could feel Spock’s agreement, when he picked up the lily, which started to glow.  The entire place lit up, and the shadow disappeared. Jim was now back in his body alongside Spock.

 _Finally_ , Jim thought, _Everything can end now_.

* * *

 

“Thank you for saving us, but I apologize for telling you that both of you are forever forbidden to return here. May your feet always wander, and never step on our soil.” the minister said, avoiding their eyes.

“We understand. The Federation will send ambassadors and other suitable people for further negotiation,” Jim answered, and returned to the ship with Spock.

_You can't escape. You’re a part of us now._

The nightmare woke Jim, whose hands still shivered. He put on some clothes and went for the observatory, hoping the stars would calm him down, and met Spock there.

Jim could see the darkness in Spock’s eyes and asked, “Is it worth it?”

“How about you?”

Jim thought about his crew and the deaths they prevented, and replied with a set jaw. “Yes.” Nevermind the night terrors, it was his true answer.

Spock nodded. “It is for me too.”

Together they turned to the stars, with darkness and hope both before them..

  



End file.
